Cleveland
Browns
0-8
13
FINAL
17
New Orleans
Saints
2-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Cleveland Browns with a final score of 17-13. This Week 9 clash was critical for both teams as they jostle for playoff positioning in the 2026 season. The Saints' victory keeps their postseason hopes alive while the Browns face added pressure in the final stretch of the season.
Tyler Shough led the Saints' aerial attack, throwing for 219 yards, while Tee Higgins emerged as his top target, racking up 110 receiving yards. For the Browns, Shedeur Sanders contributed with a lone touchdown pass, but it was Quinshon Judkins who stole the show on the ground, amassing 132 rushing yards. The offensive efforts from both sides kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the game.
Defensively, the Saints were solid, with Justin Reid making his presence felt by leading the team with eight total tackles and snagging an interception. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Reid's pick halted a potential game-winning drive for the Browns, allowing New Orleans to maintain their lead and secure the victory. Jared Verse of the Browns also made an impact with a sack, but it was the Saints' defensive stand that ultimately sealed the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 39 | 22 | 56% | 219 | 0 | 0 | 72.4 |
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | 41 | 20 | 49% | 190 | 1 | 1 | 60.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 15 | 132 | 8.8 | 82 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 5 | 42 | 8.4 | 20 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr | HB | 15 | 26 | 1.7 | โ | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Raheim Sanders | HB | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 12 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | โ | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | โ | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 5 | 12 | 2.4 | โ | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 9 | 110 | 12.2 | 38 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 4 | 88 | 22.0 | 46 | 1 | 51 | 0 |
| Denzel Boston | WR | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin Jr | TE | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr | HB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | โ | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dylan Sampson | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Raheim Sanders | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | โ | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Reid | FS | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevon Diggs | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Schwesinger | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Daron Payne | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mike Hall Jr | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathan Shepherd | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Young | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lukas Van Ness | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Andersen | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 53 |
| Andre Szmyt | K | 2 | 2 | 1 | 37 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

